Police training to fight sex trafficking locally
Updated: Wednesday, 21 Dec 2011, 5:43 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 21 Dec 2011, 5:37 PM EST
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Super fans often follow the Super Bowl every year, and with them a major opportunity for tourism dollars, even in areas as far away as Tippecanoe County. But there is a darker side to those tourism dollars, in the form of human trafficking, and local authorities are already gearing up to fight it this February.
"The challenge here locally is we're so close to the Indianapolis market, and obviously, we're going to have a Super Bowl crowd. It's going to increase the presence of sexual trafficking and prostitution to a level we've never seen before," said Tippecanoe County prosecutor Pat Harrington.
The prosecutor's office and law enforcement officials in Tippecanoe County are all being specially trained to spot and prosecute sex trafficking and prostitution in our area.
"I think not only are we expecting to see it, we already have it. I don't think, this is basically organized crime that's doing this. They aren't going to wait until a week before the Super Bowl to figure out how to run their operations. They already know the lay of the land," said Harrington.
So why during the Super Bowl? Lafayette Police believe it's due to the size and scope of the sporting event. They said it's likely organized crime rings are already readying themselves to supply the specific needs of certain travelers.
"They have a different type of sexual desire than most. And so they request services, sexual services, whether it be female or male prostitution. And it's a niche market, and it exists within this realm," said Lieutenant Tom Davidson, a detective with the Lafayette Police Department.
Officers are depending on hotel clerks to be their first line of defense, asking them to report anything suspicious they may see.
"We'll go to the hotels. And explain to them what to look for. Individuals coming in without bags. Probably an older gentleman and a younger female, or even a younger male, with no bags," said Lt. Davidson.
But once caught, it may not be so easy for area prosecutors to charge offenders. When a prostitute in a traveling ring is both witness and victim, oftentimes a case can slip through the hands of authorities.
"They're usually bonded out quickly, and they can disappear on us. They're not local, so as a victim or witness, they're free to go anywhere they want. So when it comes time eight months later, or six months later, to try the case, our witnesses may not be around anymore," said Harrington.
Several officers and employees from the prosecutor's office have already attended specialized federal training to spot and prosecute these sex crimes.
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